The parental example

What life lessons did your parents teach you? We had a question like that in a group exercise at the women's club this week. I wrote a blog about this in 2007, and it's a good thing because by 2022 I would draw a blank.

Thirteen Little Things

When we are children we learn life time lessons from our parents, some by their words, others by actions. Today I'm jotting down 13 habits, techniques, behaviors, attitudes, etc. learned from my parents that are still with me, some without thinking about them, some throw aways, in no particular order. Chime in with a few of yours.

1. If you are with someone, always open the door and let your friend(s) walk through first.

2. Make a square, military corner on the bottom sheet (when I was a little girl there were no fitted sheets) to keep it from pulling loose. Stop to admire your effort. Although I don't do this now, the principle of doing something right the first time and taking pleasure in it is a good one.

3. Always wear an apron in the kitchen. Aprons certainly aren't what they used to be, and it seems to me food splashes more, so when I put one on, I often think of my dad who always reminded me, even as an adult.

4. Turn housework into a game (usually against the clock). My mother was big at trying to make "work" into "fun." This usually got an eye roll from me and a whine.

5. Respect others with your appearance. Both my parents would "fix up" for the other after their work day, and we always ate as a family with properly set table, pleasant conversation.

6. Clean up the kitchen after the meal; never leave dirty dishes on the counter or in the sink. I often fail with this one--maybe this would be a good New Year's resolution.

7. Start the week right with church attendance.

8. A gentleman always comes to the door to pick up a lady for a date. First timers meet the parents.

9. Sit like a lady (this was back in the days when girls and women usually wore skirts or dresses). Corollary: don't slouch.

10. The proper way to answer the phone. We often had to take orders for my dad, so this greeting I no longer use. However, I still keep paper and pencil by the phone, and I try not to mumble. I also overheard how dad spoke to his customers and even today I expect this from business people.

11. "A soft answer turns away wrath." This is my mother's from Proverbs 15:1. Never quite grasped this one, but it worked for my mother, who lived it and often quoted it. I can't remember her ever raising her voice (but she had a look in her eye that could stop you in your tracks).

12. The person who feeds the puppy is the one who will be loved by it. Usually this was Mom, because despite all our promises to care for it, she's the one who usually took pity on the poor thing. When I was growing up the dogs and cats lived outside. If it got bitterly cold, they could stay on the porch or in the basement.

13. In your lifetime you will probably have three really good friends. I'm still thinking about this one. Life has different stages--friendships vary--but the number seems pretty accurate.

Follow-up on Thursday Thirteen—Black History

One of the Thursday Thirteen I wrote this week was the percentage of European heritage among American blacks.  The assumption I’d had (or read) was that the owner/master was the ancestor of mixed race African Americans.  Apparently not.  There’s an interesting photo archive available on the internet providing a photo genealogy, and a number of the families were descended from a black man and white woman, the man being a free black or a freed slave and a white servant. In that case, I’m assuming the children of the marriage or relationship were free born blacks (over 13% of the African American population by 1830).

“The Gowen family descend from Michael Gowen a "negro" servant who was free in Virginia in 1657.”

The Becketts are descendants of a  “Virginia slave named Peter Beckett who married a white servant woman named Sarah Dawson in 1680.”

“The Maclin family were free African American members of Bruton Parish, James City County in the 1740s and owned land in Wake County in the eighteenth century.”

“The Okey family was free in Delaware about 1680 and owned land in Granville County in the eighteenth century.”

“There were also Granville County marriages between Pettifords and Durhams in 1813 and 1822. The Durhams were free in Delaware about 1690.”  There is a photo of  Narcissa Pettiford Rattley, a white woman (1829-1914) and her black husband, Jesse Rattley whose children married Durhams.

“The Leviner family descends from Jean Lovina, a Norfolk County slave, whose master, Major John Nichols, freed her children, John and Sarah, and left them 350 acres of land in Norfolk County, Virginia in 1697.”

Alfred Burdine “was probably related to David Burdine who was a "free colored" head of a Pendleton District, South Carolina household with one slave in 1820.” (i.e., he was a free black who owned a slave)

“The Banks family descends from Elizabeth Banks, a white servant, who had a child by a slave in York County, Virginia in 1683, and the Hammond family descends from Margaret Hammond, a white servant, who had a child by slave in Northampton County, Virginia in 1689.”

“The Dungey family descends from Frances Dungey, a servant woman who had mixed-race children in Brunswick County, Virginia, in the 1720s.”

It’s a fascinating photo record.  Take a look.

The Pompey family descend from John and Ann Pompey who were free in Brunswick County, Virginia in the 1730s. Photo from c. 1900.

Thursday thirteen -- Black history month

       

Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating black history.

1.  In 1934, Joel Augustus Rogers, a highly regarded journalist in the black press, published a little book of 51 pages titled 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro With Complete Proof: A Short Cut to the World History of the Negro.  Some of my 13 facts come from this source, further researched and written up by Prof. Louis Gates, and some from Wikipedia. http://libguides.lib.msu.edu/content.php?pid=63292&sid=3467995

                    

2.  10.7 million Africans survived the passage from Africa directly to the Americas, but only about 388,000 landed in what is now the United States.  The rest went to the Caribbean and South America, particularly Brazil. The death rate was very high in those countries, and there were fewer women so the birth rate was low compared to the U.S.

3.  Africans arrived in North America more than a century before both the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock and the Jamestown settlement. Juan Garrido was born in West Africa around 1480, lived in Portugal and Spain, and he joined the earliest conquistadors to the New World. He was a free man. He came seeking wealth and fortune and lived his final days in Mexico.

    

4.  Perhaps you’ve noticed that most African Americans are lighter skinned than Nigerians or Haitians. Our president himself had a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya and has no family heritage to American blacks at all. Based on the companies that do DNA studies, exactly how mixed race are Black Americans? (Louis Gates article)

* According to Ancestry.com, the average African American is 65 percent sub-Saharan African, 29 percent European and 2 percent Native American.
* According to 23andme.com, the average African American is 75 percent sub-Saharan African, 22 percent European and only 0.6 percent Native American.
* According to Family Tree DNA.com, the average African American is 72.95 percent sub-Saharan African, 22.83 percent European and 1.7 percent Native American.
* According to National Geographic's Genographic Project, the average African American is 80 percent sub-Saharan African, 19 percent European and 1 percent Native American.
* According to AfricanDNA, the average African American is 79 percent sub-Saharan African, 19 percent European and 2 percent Native American.

5.  Obviously,  Elizabeth Warren isn’t the only American, black or white, to claim native American ancestry where there is none. (I do a lot of genealogy, and everyone’s family tree whether Irish, black or English, seems to have a Cherokee grandmother). Many American blacks claim native American ancestry, but the DNA studies show it is very small.

6.  First African American woman multi-millionaire was not Oprah, but Madam C.J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove in 1867 (Walker was the name of her 3rd husband), who made a fortune in hair products for black women.

7.  Yes, free American black citizens owned slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1830, the year most carefully studied by Carter G. Woodson, about 13.7 percent (319,599) of the black population was free. Of these, 3,776 free Negroes owned 12,907 slaves, out of a total of 2,009,043 slaves owned in the entire United States. (Louis Gates article) The percentage of free black slave owners as the total number of free black heads of families was quite high in several states, namely 43 percent in South Carolina, 40 percent in Louisiana, 26 percent in Mississippi, 25 percent in Alabama and 20 percent in Georgia, higher than for white heads of households.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/history/2013/03/black_slave_owners_did_they_exist.2.html

8.  As of 2013, there have been 1,949 members of the United States Senate, but only nine have been African American. The first two in the 19th century were Republicans (Hiram Revels, Blanche Bruce) as was one in the 20th (Edward Brooke, III, longest, 12 years), and one in the 21st (Tim Scott). Of the 5 Democrats, 3 were elected and 2 appointed.

                        

9. Most famous African American political and media leaders of national fame whose names I would recognize have been Republicans--Martin Luther King, Jr., James Weldon Johnson, Edward Brooke, Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, Clarence Thomas, Booker T. Washington, Walter E. Williams, Sojourner Truth, Jackie Robinson, and Eldridge Cleaver, to name a few. Frederick Douglass was the first African American to have his name on a national party nomination (Republican) in 1888.

10. Most gun laws in the United States were originally designed to prohibit blacks from owning guns, first as slaves before emancipation and then in special state codes after the 14th amendment.  http://www.old-yankee.com/rkba/racial_laws.html

11.  Although Abraham Lincoln is called the great emancipator, his Emancipation Proclamation didn’t really free the slaves. Rather, it “freed” any slave in the Confederate states who could manage to flee her or his owner and make their way to Union lines. It didn’t free slaves who lived in the North. The 13th amendment abolished slavery. The body guard of Lincoln named his baby daughter Emancipation Proclamation Coggeshall.  She’s buried in Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio.

12. The first people of European ancestry to settle in Chicago and Manhattan were  mixed race free black men from what is now Dominican Republic.  One with a French father and Haitian Mother (Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable) in Chicago in 1779, and one with a Portuguese father and African mother, Juan Rodriguez in 1613 on Manhattan Island.

                             

13. The Swiss resort town of St. Moritz is named for the first black saint, Maurice, born in Thebes in Upper Egypt. Maurice was martyred in what is today Switzerland for refusing to massacre Christians for the Roman Empire.

Thursday Thirteen plus one

Stop setting goals was the best advice book I’ve  ever read—which I didn’t find until I retired.  “Setting goals” is a creativity and thought killer for about half of us and yet we’re always told to do it or have it or accomplish it.  I was a librarian and we tend to be problem solvers, not goal setters.  The author, Bobb Biehl suggests “targets.”  However, here’s a blog with a similar thought—and I see it’s based the same author, Bobb Biehl, “5 big picture questions and 9 accelerators.” I recognize the 9th accelerator from the "Stop setting goals" book. I made three New Year’s resolutions—measureable, easily accomplished and short time frame (January 31) and met them all.  New ones will be built on that for February. Setting a goal for all of 2014 would have been impossible—at least for me.

1. What three changes will most please God?
2. What can I do to make the most significant impact for God in my lifetime? [I would change this to a specific time—like “in 2014” or the next 5 years]
3  What is the single best measurable indicator that I am making progress toward my dream?
4. What three measureable priorities will I accomplish before I die? [Again, I’d use a specific time frame.  Several years ago I had lunch with a friend whom I hadn’t seen in ages.  We had such a great time we decided to do it again in 2 weeks.  Three days later she died.]
5. What three measurable priorities will I accomplish in the next 10 years? [I would shorten that to one year, or 5 years at the most. No one can know what 10 years will bring. Facebook is 10 years old. Five years ago would you have believed the NSA was collecting your phone information?]

If you’re launching a new project (many TT participants are writers or artists)

1  Name your single greatest strength.

2. Identify three decisions causing the greatest stress.
3. What is overwhelming me?
4. What is my impassable road block?
5. What should I resign from?
6. What can I postpone?
7. What things on my list can others do 80% as well?
8. What elephants are in my schedule?
9. Identify three things in the next 90 days I could do that would make a 50% difference.

I think the important words of this list are the numbers three, changes, indicator, priorities, decisions, schedule, and things. Specific and measureable. The word “impact” is a bit squishy for me, but if it works for you, go for it!

Thursday Thirteen--13 cities in the U.S. named for saints

How many of these have you visited?

The big ones everyone knows. . .

1. St. Louis
2. St. Augustine
3. San Francisco
4. San Antonio
5. San Diego
6. Santa Barbara
7. Santa Clara
8. Santa Ana
9. Santa Maria
10.Santa Monica
11. St. Paul

And then the not so well known

12. St. Joseph, Illinois
13. St. Mary’s City, Maryland

I have visited 1,3,4,5,6,9,10,11 and 12. That I can remember. We were in Maryland a few years ago and so St. Mary's City is a possibility. This shows the Catholic Spanish and French influences.

And there are many more cities, states, rivers, parishes and counties named for saints. But. . .I only needed 13.

Los Angeles isn't named for angels, but for Mary. "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reyna de los Angeles" (although it's a little murky).
Sacramento is named for the sacraments (after the river), but that's not its original name.
Santa Cruz is Holy Cross.

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Thirteen, check here.

Thursday Thirteen--13 tips on getting fit without making a New Year’s Resolution

1. Sit up in your chair and visualize a golden thread running from your crown to the ceiling. Also good for depression.
2. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.   Take 2 at a time for extra challenge.
3. Get off the bus a stop early.
4. Park a block away from your destination or at the outskirts of the parking lot.
5. Invest in a pedometer to gauge how far you walk each day—try for 10,000 steps.
6. If you’re sitting at work, or blogging at home, get up and move around for 5-10 minutes every hour. I walk around when I talk on the phone.
7. Do some office yoga for stretches. (from pinterest)

               

8.  If your grocery bags have handles use them for impromptu weight lifting, one on each side, keeping your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles in a straight line.

9. I’m not sure this is because of exercise or what you eat (fresher, smaller portions), but people who go shopping every day live longer than those who shop only once a week.

10. Tone your buttocks by clenching them as tightly as you can for three seconds and releasing. Repeat 10 times, twice a day.

11. To prevent incontinence simply squeeze your pelvic floor muscles, then hold the squeeze for a few seconds and then release slowly.

12. Simply sitting up rather than lying down increases energy output by 25%, and standing up really ups the ante. Standing up burns more calories than sitting or lying down.

13. While watching TV lie down on the floor, slowly bring one knee up to your chest, pulling it in with your arms, and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times, then do the other leg. To firm your stomach, thighs and bottom all in one go, lie with your arms by your sides, lift your hips and clench your buttocks so you are in a straight line. Now raise one leg as high as possible, and lower it. Repeat 12 times and switch legs.

                             

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/11/get-fit-without-noticing-do-something-active

Thursday Thirteen—13 brain helps and exercises

1.  First the best one—eat more dark chocolate.  “ The cacao bean, from which chocolate is made, is  complex, containing more than 400 chemicals. Many of them can affect human biology and health.” Sorry, your favorite candy bar may not help. The beneficial effects of chocolate are not in milk chocolate or white chocolate.

2.  Visit a museum.  Two years ago at Lakeside we had a program on the incredible museums in Ohio.  I just couldn’t  believe the variety. Most recently we toured the Ohio Historical Society and saw the 1950s exhibit—it’s tough when your halcyon days are now in a museum! When you get home from your (guided) tour,  jot down what you remember. “Research into brain plasticity (the ability of the brain to change at any age) indicates that memory activities that engage all levels of brain operation—receiving, remembering and thinking—help to improve the function (and hinder the rate of decline) of the brain.” Brain fitness tips. 

3.  Memorize a song.  “Developing better habits of careful listening will help you in your understanding, thinking and remembering. Reconstructing the song requires close attentional focus and an active memory. When you focus, you release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, a brain chemical that enables plasticity and vivifies memory.“  Although it’s not a song, I suppose it would help to sing it—my New Year’s resolution was to memorize the names of the books of the Old Testament by January 31. Today I’m on Amos, Obadiah and Jonah. Brain fitness tips.

4.  Exercise your peripheral vision. I think I remember doing this in elementary school.  Sit outside and stare straight ahead, don’t move your eyes.  Then write down everything you can remember seeing, including the periphery.  This exercise again should help you reinvigorate the controlled release of acetylcholine in your brain.  Brain fitness tips

5.  Learn to play a (new) musical instrument. My husband is trying to teach himself to play the guitar.  I want him to take lessons, so I got him a gift certificate for Christmas.  He had NO musical training as a child—virtually everyone I knew in our little town took piano lessons and later started band instruments.  “Playing an instrument helps you exercise many interrelated dimensions of brain function, including listening, control of refined movements, and translation of written notes (sight) to music (movement and sound).” The photo is our son showing his dad some fingering.

 

6.  Put together a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle.  This involves a lot of brain activity, looking at the piece, rotating it in your mind and hand, and figuring out the big picture.

7. Try using your non-dominate hand for simple tasks, like brushing your teeth or buttoning a shirt.  But be careful—might be tough to get the toothpaste out of your misbuttoned shirt. Keep your brain alive, (Workman, 1999)

8.  Add fish—especially fatty fish like salmon—to your diet. If your diet lacks omega-3 fatty acids, commonly found in fish,  your brain may age faster and lose some of its memory and thinking capabilities according to a recent UCLA study.  It also helps your cardiovascular system. 

9.  Physical exercise is also brain exercise. Exercise has positive benefits for the hippocampus, a brain structure that is important for learning and memory. It can even help your brain create new cells.  They already knew endurance exercises were good for the brain, and here’s the research to confirm it.  Think of those little mice running a treadmill just for your brain! I’m in an exercise class a few times a week, and when the weather is better I’ll also walk outdoors.

10.   Get a good night’s sleep.  Memory tasks are easier if you are well rested because the brain can store those tasks in your long term memory.  There are several theories on why sleep is important for memory.

11. At dinner, rearrange the seating chart. This challenges the associations we have.  I wonder if this applies to the pew in church? Keep your brain alive, (Workman, 1999)

12.  Take an unfamiliar route on your commute or drive someone else’s car (ask first).   Pay attention—you’ll be forced to and won’t be on autopilot. Keep your brain alive, (Workman, 1999)

13.  Shower with your eyes closed—but only if you have good balance. Find the faucets, soap, shampoo, etc. and if you’re in my shower, don’t forget to squeegee the tile and glass doors. Keep your brain alive, (Workman, 1999)

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Thirteen, check here.

Thursday Thirteen—where our friends are traveling according to their Christmas letters

Our Christmas card for 2013 was a painting by my husband of Colorado in the snow.  His card paintings are always so lovely, some people collect them. However, I can’t find this year’s card, so here’s last year’s, the little museum at Lakeside, Ohio which used to be a Methodist church.

I always enjoy hearing from friends and family at Christmas—cards and letters on paper, some actually handwritten. E-cards are OK, but don’t excite me too much.  That’s the direction many are going—it saves time and money.  Many of our friends are retired, so they carefully plan their resources and time around travel. This isn’t all, but they were on the top of the pile.

1.  John and Sue in Washington went to the hospital, both of them, he in January and she in December—hoping for a healthier 2014 with possibly a trip to Ohio in May.

2.  Gayle and Bill’s grandchildren went off to college in Colorado and South Carolina.

3.  Howard and Betty went to Istanbul and other interesting places in Turkey to be awestruck by ancient ruins. Also New Hampshire and Maryland for family visits.

4.  Martti and Riitta of Helsinki probably hit the jackpot with Copenhagen, Thailand, Rome, Kuusamo (Finland), Sardinia, Spain (liked it so much they bought a home there), London, Nashville, and finally traveled here to Columbus to visit us in December. And we’re so glad they did—we had a wonderful visit.

4.  Jim and Jerry were in Michigan, Lake Wales, Tampa, Sarasota, North Carolina, and had some time in the hospital.

5.  Sandy and Alec went to Scotland and Charlotte NC.

6.  Rich and MaryAnn were commuting between Lakeside, OH and Bloomington, IL,  with visits to Piqua and Cincinnati, Ohio.

7. Bob and Janet went to Springfield, IL and visited the Lincoln Library and Museum, also Florida, a cruise to the Greek Islands with a stop in Turkey, then Rome, 8 Mediterranean Islands, then to Columbus, Ohio, and Pasadena, California for family visits.

8.  Sylvia and Dave clocked some time in Reno, NV, and Amarillo, TX.

9. Frank and Dianne also went to Springfield, IL to see the sites, and South Carolina as well as local trips to festivals in Illinois.

10. Linda visited Zion National Park in Utah, Catawba Is. in Lake Erie, Hilton Head,  and The Cove in Ashville, NC which she says was the highlight of the year.

11. Helen went to New York City and said the Christmas decorations were outstanding.

12. Eleanor’s plans to travel to South America were cancelled, but she’s thinking perhaps a vacation place in a warmer part of the country may be in her future.

13.  Jan is planning a trip to France, with 3 days in Paris and a river cruise.

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Thirteen, check here.

Thursday Thirteen—a list of wonderful, thoughtful gifts

1.  A terrific dinner for the family at our daughter’s home and many seasonal parties and concerts (see last week’s blog).

2.  Several gift cards to my favorite coffee spot.

3.  A “deco red” outfit of a paisley shirt and vest from Coldwater Creek.

4.  Box of fresh, luscious pears from Harry and David.

5.  A little cat pin with rhinestones and green eyes.

6.  A new watch with real numbers, and a face that lights up. Expansion band, silver and gold color.

7.  A pale turquoise sweater with a giant floral print scarf, and a booklet explaining how to drape and tie it.

8.  Gift card to our Friday night date favorite restaurant.

9.  Subscription to Salvo. (magazine)

10. Subscription to First Things (magazine)

11. Cable knit zip front cardigan from LL Bean (wrong color and size, new choice to be decided since the catalog was tossed out)

12. Cat coffee mugs, pottery, Asian look, one black, one white.

13. Beautiful Finnish glass candle holders.

Would you like to join the Thursday Thirteen meme?

Thursday Thirteen Christmas season 2013

Christmas  these days seems to begin around Halloween when Christmas themed merchandise appears in the stores, although for some retailers it’s even earlier and you see craft and decorating items stocked in strategic places.  This year Thanksgiving was the latest it could be and so the festivities and shopping had one less week. Our holiday season was saddened by the death of brother in law John Sterling, whom we had visited in October in California. He died the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  For us, Christmas more or less began at Thanksgiving when we began to discuss how we would do the holidays.  Usually our daughter has Thanksgiving dinner, but her father-in-law who lives in  Cleveland and who has been ill, was unable to travel, so they needed to be free “just in case,” so we had dinner here, and decided that I would host the family on Christmas Eve, and then we’d all go to our daughter’s for Christmas Day. I fixed a huge turkey, and we’ve had leftovers off and on since.  So beginning with Thanksgiving, we all went to church together at the Lytham Road campus of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church at 10 a.m. where we had worshipped when the children were growing up (began attending in 1974 and joined on Palm Sunday 1976).  Pastor TJ Anderson, our new senior pastor, gave the sermon. At this service we bring sacks of groceries to be distributed by the Lutheran Food Pantry. Our location of UALC has a traditional style worship with hymns and organ; Mill Run has contemporary style worship with praise songs and communion.

1.  On Wednesday, December 4, we attended with our neighbors Tom and Joyce the annual Conestoga (friends of the Ohio Historical Society) Holiday Party at The Boat House at Confluence Park. It was a lovely venue with views of the river and the downtown skyline lit up for Christmas.  Conestoga has 203 individual members and we learn about Ohio history, travel around the state together visiting historical places, and have fund raisers.  All the money supports the Ohio Historical Society. Our current endowment is about $66,000.

2. Mid-week day time Advent services are held on Thursday at the Lytham Rd. location, and we served communion on December 5.  Wednesday evening services are held at our Mill Run Campus. Usually serve at all these Thursday services, but this year we had conflicts on the other two dates. These services are followed by lunch in the fellowship hall.  Generally, it’s an older crowd, and follows the Thursday morning Bible study.

3.  On December 7, the combined choirs of Lytham and Mill Run presented a wonderful Christmas Concert on Saturday evening, “Glory, Peace, Joy” with conductors Brian Carlton and Michael Martin, with an orchestra. Members of our pastoral staff gave the readings from Isaiah, Colossians, Luke, and Matthew. I sat with the other women of our SALT group—our husbands were at home watching the OSU-Michigan football game, and they missed a beautiful concert.

4. On Sunday December 8, we attended our own service (8:15) and the 9:30 Celebration Service at Lytham, so we could participate in the installation of Pastor Thomas J. Anderson. Pastor David Wendel, assistant to the NALC Bishop performed the installation, with Pastors Brodie Taphorn and Buff Delcamp participating. Pastor TJ follows Pastor Paul Ulring who ended his service with the church in September. Pastor TJ said, “My primary mission is to kick you out of the nest.”

5. We were thrilled to have our friends Martti and Riitta Tulamo of Helsinki, Finland with us December 11-13.  We did some touring of the OSU campus where Riitta was a student at the veterinary college in 1978-80.  We spent a lot of time together in those days, so our children remember them well, and we had a dinner here on Friday night before taking them to the Brens where they would enjoy a few days, then going to the Rigolli home in Worthington before returning to Finland. We attended Advent services on Thursday and then stayed for a very nice lunch of lasagna and salad.

6. On Saturday December 14 our church’s Mission ministry had a pot luck at the home of the Camerons to meet with our missionaries Dave and Pam Mann who teach in Haiti and are home during the month of December.  It was so good to see them, and hear about what is happening at the school and clinic.

7.  On Sunday December 15 members of Conestoga were invited to a buffet and program at the Ohio Historical Society.  We went with our neighbors the Rieslings. The theme for this fall/winter has been the 50s—and there is a Lustron on display, so it was decorated with the much more simple décor of the 1950, including an aluminum tree and plastic poinsettias.

8.. Party with Faith of our Fathers study group Monday Dec. 16 and my  first training session with the Pregnancy Decision Health Center on Wednesday Dec. 18 where I hope to continue volunteering.  This is a Christian ministry that saves lives—of babies, but also mothers who may be in great distress with a pregnancy

9. Party for condo association hosted by the Thompson and Rieslings on Sunday Dec. 22.  The Thompsons had their twin 18 month old granddaughters with them, which really enhanced the environment. Joan and Joyce put out a beautiful spread of of wonderful food, and I think I gained back all the weight (6 lbs) I’ve struggled to lose during the fall.

10. We had a get together after exercise class at instructor Christine’s home on Monday December 23, and will have a 2 week hiatus.

11. We hosted our family for Christmas Eve for dinner—ham, roasted squash, potato salad, mixed fruit, cookies. Then together we attended the  UALC  9 p.m. service.  On  Christmas Day, we opened gifts at home after a leisurely morning, then attended church at 10 a.m. where we served Communion, and then went to our daughter and son-in-law’s for a lovely Christmas dinner and more gifts. Such lovely thoughtful gifts, and my daughter spiffed up my wardrobe, something I always look forward to.

12.  Friends of ours are hosting events in their homes in the next week, on Saturday December 28  the Sloughs, and on Monday evening December 30, the Zimmers.

13.  We will attend the New Year’s Eve Jazz Concert and Worship with Communion at our Mill Run church on Tuesday December 31 beginning at 5:30 for music and 6:00 for worship.

Thursday Thirteen—13 magazines in need of reading

I have an odd hobby—since the 1960s I’ve been collecting first issues of magazines (aka journals, periodicals, serials).  I have given it up because of storage problems, and I rarely ever subscribed to one I bought for my hobby.  The fun was in the hunt.  But we do have a lot of magazines around the house, which I periodically (joke) take to the library book sale.  Here are a few in the house as of November 2012, but by no means all.

1.  Edible Columbus.

I found out about this magazine  (and I do have the first issue) by accidentally meeting the editor—she lives in our former home of 34 years in Upper Arlington.  This magazine is available for a number of cities and focuses on healthy, locally grown foods.

2. Lake Erie Living.

We own a summer home in Lakeside, Ohio, a Chautauqua community, so we’re very interested in what is happening on our lake, and the other Great Lakes.  And you should be, too.  There are eleven states and provinces that touch at least one of the Great Lakes, and they are the largest source of fresh water in the world.

I also have the first issue of Lake Erie Living.

3.  Bird Watcher’s Digest

I remember when my mother subscribed to this when she had a retreat center.  I don’t know much about birds, but several years ago I met Bill Thompson III at Lakeside when he was there to give a program, and I went on several bird walks. The next Midwest Birding Symposium (Sept. 2013) will be at Lakeside.

4.  JAMA; The Journal of the American Medical Association

When I was Head of the Veterinary Medicine Library at Ohio State University, I got hooked on medical journals, and about 1/3 of our journals were human medical.  A mammal is a mammal, after all.  I don’t subscribe to JAMA because I have a source that gives me her copies, but I rarely miss an issue.  Some of the research articles are too difficult for me, but it also has essays, editorials, poetry, politics (left of center), patient information, and brief summaries. Until recently, all the covers were paintings, both ancient and modern, which I loved, but recently the editors have added medical art intended to instruct, like the Nov. 7 issue on cardiovascular disease showing some of the innovations available today.

5. Architectural Digest.

Off and on, we’ve subscribed for years—you see how the 1% lives.  It’s very heavy on celebrities and the homes of decorators. We allowed the subscription to lapse for several years, and picked it up again in 2012 after a really good offer.  My favorite issue is always the Hollywood issue, where the editors dig through the archives and old b & w photos for the famous movie stars, Gable, Astaire, Monroe, Crosby, etc., directors and producers you now only see on TNT film series.

6.  Watercolor Artist

Both my husband and I paint.  This cover has a huge surprise. When you unfold it there is a naked woman with the couple observing the scenery.

7.  American Artist.

Sadly, American Artist and Watercolor magazine ceased publication after November, 2012. But we still have shelves full so we won’t lack for resource material or advice.

8.  Timeline, a publication of the Ohio Historical Society.

We are members of Conestoga, a Friends group that takes trips together to historical sites and raises money for the Ohio Historical Society.  It has an excellent magazine that comes with our membership, as well as a nice newsletter called Echoes.

On this cover is the Lustron, a prefab home made in Columbus after WWII.  My grandparents owned one in Mt. Morris, Illinois.

9. Biblio

I’m a few issues shy of a complete set, and it died a number of years ago, but every issue is a treasure. I have complete volumes (12 issues) of Vol. 2 and Vol. 3, plus 4 issues of Vol. 4 (discontinued at vol.4 no.4) of Biblio magazine, probably the sweetest magazine about books, manuscripts, ephemera, collectors and publishers that ever was published (issn 1087-5581). Top quality paper and printing, too. 10.

10. Preservation

This is a wonderful magazine for learning about our culture, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  When we were in California in 2006 we visited some Greene & Greene homes featured in this issue.

11. Fine Homebuilding

Home magazines became more popular in our home when my husband left a larger firm where he was a partner doing primarily commercial buildings and became a sole practitioner designing and remodeling homes. They are fun to look at, although I’m no longer interested in doing most of the things suggested.

12.  Tri-Village Magazine

This magazine carries news and business opportunities specifically for Grandview Heights, Marble Cliff and Upper Arlington, northwest suburbs of Columbus, Ohio.

13.  Architectural Record

This is my husband’s magazine, but I also read it. “Green” and “sustainable” are big topics for architects, and they can’t survive without government work, so they tend to chase political trends. Poor people can’t afford architects, and rich people have been demonized, so that only leaves the government and non-profits.

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Thursday Thirteen—My Prayer Job Jar

Thirteen Things about NORMA'S Prayer Job Jar—a rerun from a TT seven years ago

1.  The jar is real, physical, clear glass and has a lid.

2.  Originally the jar held bubble bath, had a pink ribbon around the lid, and was most likely a birthday gift when I was a teen.

3.  When my children were small, this jar was our cookie jar.

4.  It sits on the kitchen table, catching the sun’s rays (or the Son’s).

5.  We pray one or two items from the jar each evening before dinner. I need to add the President’s name—that he will be guided by God’s spirit.

6.  Most often the prayer request is actually someone looking for a job, i.e., employment or career, so it really is a “prayer job jar.” Sometimes the prayer is about God’s job--to bring someone to saving faith.

8.  Sometimes the prayer is general, sometimes specific--it’s every Christian’s job to pray even if we don’t understand how or why. In fact, I think it is a command.

9.  Although I haven’t kept a record, most job (career) prayers have been answered to the satisfaction of the job seeker.

10. Marriage solutions are another kettle of fish and loaves. A personality transplant?  A memory freeze? Get that other woman a job transfer to Alaska?  Maybe we should just cut to the chase and ask God for a miracle instead of a reconciliation or resolution?

11. Because of our age and the ages of our friends and family, health issues are frequently in the prayer job jar.  This usually has to be a partnership between God and the unhealthy--it’s asking a lot of God to heal if a cancer or COPD patient won’t give up smoking or an arthritic or diabetic won’t lose weight.  I mean, God does allow some free will here, and bad habits he may leave up to the person while he attends to someone a bit more willing to change.

12.  The prayer job jar has made our prayer time much more interesting and meaningful for us, and probably for God, who I imagine gets a little bored with the rote stuff. . . "We thank you Lord for Jesus Christ/ and for the blood he shed/ we thank you for his risen life/ and for our daily bread."

13.  Here’s a photo of the jar, cropped from another picture.  Looks like just one or two pieces of paper, but I think it is a list. 

                                       

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Thursday Thirteen—what I uncovered in my office

Today we’re having new carpet installed in my home office and the stairs to the upper level and the lower level and the upstairs hall (same pattern).  But everything had to be moved out of the office (not things on the wall shelves).  To move the desk, everything had to be taken out of the drawers and I found a rolling 25 gallon tub for that. To move a 3 shelf unit for photo albums, all had to be moved.  The computer, modem, wifi, phone, etc. had to relocated temporarily. It’s just amazing what turns up in a move—even a move from the office to the dining room.

1.  A birthday letter to me from my mother from 1996.  She died in 2000, and I didn’t pack away that letter, but wasn’t real sure where it was.   Like having her here to tell me about the day of my birth and why my nickname was “Peachy.” 

2.  Lots of homemade cards from my friend Lynne.  We’ve been friends since high school.  I have a scrap book for her cards and poetry, but somehow a little sack of them stayed behind in my desk.

3.  A box of note cards with a Frank Lloyd Wright design, plus lots of miscellaneous cards, many as mementoes from museums and travels, from the days when I did less e-mail and more personal notes.

4.  A little stamp with my name on it from when I was a Slavic language cataloger at the University of Illinois library. I think the main entry card was stamped with the cataloger’s name in case there was a problem.

5.  A set of weights my daughter gave me for Christmas 2 years ago, 3 lb.., 5 lb., 8 lb.  Almost like new.  They were hard to move.

6.  The first issue of George magazine.  I collect first issues of serials, and this one didn’t get into the storage box when I rearranged my collection 2 years ago.

7.  Scissors for crafts.  Zig zag, shaped patterns, etc.  I’m not crafty, so not sure why I bought them. It was probably either a good deal or I had a flash of ambition that dissipated before I got home.

8.  Pennies, twisty ties,paper clips, mystery keys to suitcases I no longer have and rubber bands too brittle to use.

9.  A letter with the last 41 cent postage stamp on it (I’d made a note on the envelope).

10. A photo of my sister and me from 2002 printed from my computer, but I don’t seem to have either a digital copy or print of it.

11. Lots of carefully saved instructions, guarantees, warranties, for digital stuff I almost never use or have replaced.

12. A very nice, never used color coded notebook with 3 x 5 cards. 

13. A faded poem on yellow lined paper from my husband written in 1960 on the anniversary of our first date.  It was probably in the desk because I repacked that box of memorabilia when we moved here, and so it surfaced 11 years later.

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How to be a guest at any blog—but especially mine. Thursday Thirteen November 8

                    

1.  Don’t attack your host. Think of your visit as standing in the hall or on the porch and you’re passing out political literature you want her to read.  Do you start out by accusing the owner of hatred and vitriol because she disagrees with you? 

2.  If you disagree with an idea or a citation, please supply the information.  I’m smart and I cite my sources of those writers who are smarter, but I’m not a mind reader about what you call “hate.’

3.  If you’ve got more than a paragraph, please start your own blog.  It’s not difficult and many sites are free. Or hit publish and make a second comment.  Looks better on my site meter.

4.  You can skip the name calling--homophobic, racist, sexist, etc.  That dog won’t hunt here.  Plus your mother taught you better.

5.  Please pay attention to quote marks and citations.  I’ve been attacked as homophobic for quoting gay bloggers and journalists! 

6.  Just because your president is black, doesn’t mean his policies are good for black people, minorities, churches, or the economy. If what he touches becomes untouchable for bloggers because of his race, how will you ever know what he’s doing?  The media won’t tell you.

7.  If you don’t like the cartoons or graphics, you should see the ones I’ve rejected as disrespectful or nasty.

8.  I’ve been blogging for nine years.  And you?

9.  I’m a one issue (pro-life) voter, writer, woman.  Start to finish, Genesis to Revelation, womb to tomb.  Yes, I think rape is awful, but it’s not worse than murdering the innocent child that results from the violent act. Incest is icky, but in my genealogy I’m my own 6th cousin, so who do you want to eliminate?

10. I’m an evangelical Christian (Lutheran) who loves many of the documents of the Reformation and the early church before it split up. I perfectly understand your main line Christian views because I was one (UCC, Church of the Brethren), and I know the cafeteria Catholic outlook well from all my Catholic friends who use contraception.  How well do you know the documents of evangelicalism?

11.  Not only do I blog, but I’m on Facebook, and several e-mail discussion groups. I’m also a published author.  And what have you researched and published?  You can cite it here and get some free publicity. I’ll not call you names.

12. How recently did you read the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence or the Northwest Ordinance? I do it about once a year, but I’m also old enough to know the Democrats invented Jim Crow and LBJ fought civil rights all the way until he figured out he could capture the loyalty of blacks for 200 years if he switched sides.

13. FDR locked up about a million Americans, German, Italian and Japanese, in 1942.  I guess he thought they were disloyal or dangerous.  And you?  Do you read much about the heroes of American history? Write a blog—I’ll come and visit and not call you names.

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Thursday Thirteen--13 memorable music programs at Lakeside, Summer 2011

We have a summer home in Lakeside, Ohio--a Chautauqua community estblished as a Methodist campground in 1873 with educational and cultural programming every day. Here are 13 of the musical shows we really enjoyed. Lakeside has a large auditorium that seats over 2,500, plus a bandstand in the park, and a theater called "Orchestra Hall," but most musical events are in Hoover Auditorium. There are 2 hotels, several B&Bs, plus private cottages for rent. Lots of planned activities for children. Gated community. No alcohol.

1. On Aug. 27 Helen Welch provided a tribute to “ladies of song,” including Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Karen Carpenter and Patsy Cline. She is British, lives in Hudson, Ohio, and belts out some fabulous songs.

2. Shiloh Mountain Trio sang at the bandstand the Sunday night of the last week, Aug. 28. A Christian group, they are siblings and children of a Baptist pastor. They are named in honor of Mt. Shiloh Baptist Church in Cadiz, Ohio. We stayed for the whole concert and even bought a CD. YouTube of how they make their music.

3. Mike Albert is the Big-E (an Elvis impersonator) and very popular at Lakeside. He always puts on a fabulous show--this is probably the 8th time we’ve seen him.

4. Although it wasn’t billed as an evening program at Hoover Auditorium, Thomas Lloyd who is the band director at Columbus State (didn’t know they had one) gave an interesting lecture on the Music of the Civil War Era, and we in the audience had an opportunity to sing many of the songs with his leadership. This was the 8th Civil War Week at Lakeside.

5. The closing concert of the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra on Aug. 19 featured guest pianist Dr. Angelin Chang, professor of piano at Cleveland State. Our friends David and MaryAnn enjoyed the show with us.

6. Another winner with the Orchestra was Chad Hoopes on Aug. 16, a violinist who at 16 has a fabulous career ahead. I was enchanted. Instead of giving him a bouquet of flowers, he was presented with a print of one of my husband’s paintings (the orchestra).

7. Michael Shirtz, director of choral music and Arts at Terra State Community College in Fremont, played on Aug. 11 with his quartet. He’s so talented, and earlier in the season was also a presenter on history of American music.

8. We actually weren’t here on July 23 to hear the OSU Alumni Band, but if we had been, we would have heard a fantastic concert.

9. The Lakeside Symphony Orchestra opened its 48th season on July 27 with a program of “Light Classics.”

10. Carpe Diem String Quartet on June 21 originated at Ohio Wesleyan University and provides many educational programs, but they also can really wow an audience.

11. If you ever have the opportunity to hear the Raleigh Ringers Handbell Choir based in Raleigh, NC, don’t miss it. I’ve never seen such huge handbells!

12. And oh do we love Riders in the Sky who’ve performed in all 50 states, and here at Lakeside a number of times. They sing cowboy music.

13. Usually we don’t have secular music programs on Sunday evening, but this year on May 29 (Memorial Day week-end) the performers were Phil Dirt and the Dozers. This incredibly talented group can sing anything, but are particularly famous for their 50s and 60s music, and are great fun to watch and listen to.

Thursday Thirteen -- Comparing Grandmothers

13 things about my grandmothers that make them different than today’s grandmothers

We are at Lakeside on Lake Erie, a summer Chautauqua community, where I have noticed big differences between today’s solicitous, attentive grandmothers and those no nonsense, sensibly shod ladies of the 1940s and 1950s when I was spending time with grandmothers. One of my grandmothers was born in 1876 (a centennial baby), and the other in 1896 (a turn of the century baby). So even they were a world apart in life style and experiences. Altogether, I had six grandparents (2 sets of grandparents, 1 great-grandparent couple), and loved them all, and have many fond memories of spending a lot of time with them, but. . .

My paternal grandparents, great-grandparents and Uncle and aunt and their baby, 1935

1. I never saw either of my grandmothers in slacks, let alone jeans, shorts or a swim suit.

2. I never saw either of my grandmothers on a bicycle. Can’t even picture it!

3. I never saw either grandmother drive a car, although I know one did when she was young and middle age (one was blind, the other had mild strokes in her 60s). I also never saw them ride a horse either, but I know they both did--one even rode a horse to church with several children aboard.

4. My grandmothers never read to me.

5. My grandmothers never supervised crafts for me or played games with me or took me swimming, because that’s what cousins and older sisters were for in those days.

6. My grandmothers never had house pets--there might be a cat or dog around, but it lived outside where it could earn its keep.

7. Neither of my grandmothers was a particularly fine cook--if we ate well at their homes it was a holiday and the younger generation of aunties or daughters supplied the food. Both kept gardens and canned.

8. I never ate in a restaurant with my grandmothers when I was a child, nor did they buy me huge helpings of ice cream I couldn‘t finish.

9. My grandmothers never wore make-up--or even wedding rings as I recall.

10. Neither of my grandmothers cared much about house cleaning or yard work.

11. When they were my age (now) both my grandmothers were in business--one managed several farms, the other a small call-in service to pick up and remove dead animals.

12. Neither was the huggy, smoochy type, but both knew how to soothe a crying baby.

13. Both were married over 60 years, one over 70.

Thursday Thirteen--13 buttons, pushed, sewn, pressed and unused

1. Buttons on my jeans and slacks don't seem to stay where they should. The thread weakens and they fall off. Do you suppose it's the 10 lbs?

2. Other buttons don't want to meet up with the assigned button hole.

3. I just discovered that if I press the "unlock button" twice on my car key, that the lights stay on instead of just blinking to say "hello, here I am."

4. We have a new garage door and opener. It's super quiet and a perfect match for the paint, although it is metal. The opener is about the size of a fat ballpoint pen and I have difficulty finding and pressing the button.

5. After my mother died 10 years ago, I brought home her button tin. That's a carry over from 19th century and Depression day thrift. They rarely match anything, but I can identify some buttons from items of family clothing 60 years ago. Some could be from my great-grandfather's work shirts.

6. We have a lot of TV sets. Most have buttons for functions I don't understand.

7. The remotes for each TV are different--even more buttons I don't use. Like Zoom and Angle. Input and Sleep.

8. Rosie O'Donnel, that brilliant, wealthy, political strategist, has pushed my buttons with her ignorance. She is demanding that Obama seize the assets of BP and Great Britain. She says she doesn't care if it's communism. Well, no Rosie, that's called National Socialism. Remember Hitler? That was his system. The state steals private wealth. You're next in that system. It's not just for corporations.

9. AP has a story today that the BP reports read like fiction, with deceased experts and environmental plans for animals and plants that aren't in the Gulf of Mexico. Welcome to the research/report world, AP! That's another button for me. I constantly write to government agencies, non-profits, academic and media websites reporting mistakes, bad citations, bad links, non-existent experts and plans designed to only bring in more grant money, never to solve a problem. I rarely get a response. But if I do, I'm usually told it's not their responsibility or that I'm the one who is mistaken.

10. I wore a really bright printed jacket to coffee today. It must have pushed a button for another customer because she complimented me and said my husband should take me out for brunch. She wears more colorful clothes than I do--I don't much care for this garment.

11. I don't know when Mother Nature pushes the button for Mother Duck under the bush at our front door, but she must really be getting tired of sitting on those 9 eggs.

12. My new dryer, bought to replace the Maytag piece of junk that died after 4 years, doesn't have an alarm buttom to tell me "time to walk downstairs and unload."

13. We're having our furnace maintenance done today. We always use this company. There's a $25 off coupon on the web where you'd never see it which expired June 6. That's another button, constantly being pushed. Coupons. I hate them--on-line, in the newspaper, in the door-hanger bag, attached to the product, or in conjunction with another product like breakfast at Denny's combined with an oil change. Makes no difference. Coupons add costs to everyone's purchase just like all marketing and advertising, but they are grossly unfair and expensive to those of us who don't use them.

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Thursday Thirteen--13 things to be happy about this week

Have you ever seen the book "14,000 things to be happy about" by Barbara Ann Kipfer? I picked up a copy years ago at a used book sale for $1. She says for 20 years she made notes in her journals, beginning in 6th grade, and then compiled the "little things" for this book. So, for awhile I'm going to recall 13 things that made me happy beginning on the previous Friday, March 5.

1) I found a new apple this week, Lady Alice, from Washington state. No one knows where she came from---she just "growed," and since I eat an apple every day I was thrilled to find one to fill in for my favorite, Honey Crisp.

2) We had dinner with our friends Rod and Judi at the Worthington Inn. We enjoy their company, and hadn't been to that restaurant in probably 25 years. It was featured also in this month's Capital Style.

3) It was sunny for days, 53 degrees on Monday, 58 Tuesday, 61 on Wednesday--warm enough to walk the neighborhood. We're so sunlight deprived in central Ohio, that people are almost giddy when the sun is out.

4) On my walks I picked up trash and replaced pieces of sod--both the result of deep snow being removed by the plows. Found a wheel cover and propped it against a wall so it could be seen--then 10 ft. further I found the emblem from the center of the cover and took it back to the cover and attached it.

5) We're in the season of Lent. We're communion servers at our church UALC, which is a wonderful opportunity, and because of mid-week services, we serve more often than usual.

6) Not exactly happy--but I did get a good laugh. My husband had scheduled a "paint out" for an art group which fell on our 50th wedding anniversary. He's president of the group. Yes, we've changed it (the paint out, not the anniversary)!

7) The mallards are in love, mating and chasing each other around our street. Sort of cute, but you do have to be careful--the chase is slow and they aren't afraid of automobiles. Ah love!

8) Had a e-mail from an author I wrote about--Amy Dickinson, of Ask Amy (replaced Ann Landers).

9) A friend is out of the hospital and on the mend. She hates my blog, and now she's in it!

10) I made a delicious dessert this week. Each piece made us happy! Sort of made it up as I went--now if I can only remember. . .

11) While my coffee was heating Monday, I walked around the house and admired our art, many pieces by good friends like Ken, Jeanie, Fritz, Ned, and Jim.

12) Got an early start on next month's book club selection--The Virginian (1902), from which numerous movies and a TV series were made. It's online, but mine is a 45 cent yard sale copy. A classic.

13) The daughter of a teacher at the Haitian school where my husband volunteers was kidnapped for ransom last week. We are beyond happy and thrilled that she has been returned to her family, safe.
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